The Daily Stern
: VENDETTA: Don’t believe there’s an FCC vendetta against Howard Stern? Here’s a gun with a wisp that looks strangely like smoke coming out of it:
FCC Chairman Michael Powell addressed the National Association of Broadcasters yesterday and someone was a good enough reporter to ask him about Oprah Winfrey getting away with doing exactly what the FCC fined Stern for — defining sexual collolquialisms:
Powell dismissed accusations that the FCC’s actions are unevenly enforced, shock jock Howard Stern, whose show has been fined more than any other, has accused the FCC and the Republican administration of pursuing a vendetta. On his Web site he accuses the commission of going after him, but ignoring Oprah Winfrey, who received an award for her achievements in broadcasting on Monday.
“I don’t agree with that,” he told reporters after his Q&A. “The commission has said nothing about Oprah Winfrey. There are people complaining about it, but we’ll see.”
While Powell defended the commission’s even-handedness, commission aides admitted that Oprah is probably untouchable. It’s more difficult to fine a beloved figure like her, than to go after lightning rod like Stern.
